Andy Burnham’s retrofit stance matters for your EPC and bill

Greater Manchester‘s mayor, Andy Burnham, has made net zero a central plank of his re-election pitch. But for the 1.2 million households in his region, the question is not whether he talks about retrofitting homes, it is whether that talk becomes cash in their pocket or lower energy bills.

As reported by BusinessGreen, Burnham has positioned himself as a champion of retrofit and net zero, but details on how he will fund and deliver home upgrades remain thin. That matters because local authority schemes, from the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (LAD) to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, are the primary route for many homeowners to access free or subsidised insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels.

Who qualifies, and who doesn’t

Burnham’s Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has already drawn down £30m from the government’s LAD programme, targeting low-income and off-gas-grid homes. But eligibility is tight: households must be in EPC bands D to G and meet specific income thresholds. For a typical 3-bed semi in Stockport or Salford, that means an annual household income below £30,000. If you earn £32,000, you are out, even if your energy bills are £2,200 a year.

The catch is that the mayor’s ambition, retrofitting 100,000 homes by 2028, requires far more than one-off grant rounds. It needs a sustained, multi-year funding commitment from central government and a local delivery machine that can handle the volume. So far, GMCA has retrofitted roughly 8,000 homes under its various programmes. At that rate, the 100,000 target is a decade away, not four years.

What it costs a typical 3-bed semi

For a homeowner in Greater Manchester considering a full retrofit, cavity wall insulation, loft top-up, double glazing, and an air-source heat pump, the upfront cost typically runs between £15,000 and £25,000, depending on property size and condition. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers £7,500 off a heat pump, but the rest comes from the homeowner’s pocket unless a local grant covers it.

Burnham’s team has floated the idea of a local loan scheme, similar to the London Energy Efficiency Fund, but no concrete figures or interest rates have been published. Without that detail, homeowners cannot plan. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a full fabric-first retrofit (insulation before heating) saves a typical semi-detached home around £400–£600 a year on energy bills. At that rate, a £20,000 investment pays back in 33–50 years, longer than most people stay in a house.

That is why grants matter. And why Burnham’s stance on retrofit is more than political positioning: it determines whether your EPC upgrade is free, affordable, or unaffordable.

But what about the rest of the UK?

Burnham is not alone. Other metro mayors, from West Yorkshire to the West Midlands, are pushing similar retrofit agendas. If Greater Manchester succeeds in scaling up delivery, it could become a template for the government’s proposed national retrofit strategy, expected in the autumn. If it fails, the Treasury will use it as evidence that local delivery does not work.

For homeowners outside the north-west, the lesson is to watch the GMCA pilot schemes. If they work, expect similar programmes in your region within two years. If they stall, the government’s EPC upgrade targets, all homes to band C by 2035, become even harder to meet without central funding.

Ofgem data shows that the average UK household on a standard variable tariff pays £1,568 a year for dual fuel. Retrofitting a home to EPC band C typically cuts that by 15–25%, or £235–£392. That is real money, but only if the upfront cost is covered.

Andy Burnham’s next move should be to publish a detailed retrofit finance plan with clear eligibility, interest rates, and repayment terms. Homeowners in his region, and across the country, are waiting.